Category: Travel

Sharon was off to church, so I headed to Olympic Park and the Paralympics. The lines to pick up tickets were very long, but I eventually made it in. First stop was the SuperDome, where I watched France take on Nederland in men’s wheelchair basketball. The game has a savage gracefulness, like combining basketball with a demolition derby. Next, I headed to Olympic Stadium, where I saw a women’s wheelchair 100m final (T53), and part of the men’s discus final (F11). A quick train ride and I was back to the Opera House to meet Sharon at the Sunday markets.

We next caught the ferry to Manly, where we went to the beach, then she started the walk to Spit Bridge and I got some lunch at Ocean Foods. I purchased fish and chips, deciding on Barramundi fish so I’d know what my new belt tasted like (very good). Next, I went parasailing. I got a ticket, and the boat left from Manly Wharf. Once the boat got going, they attached the parachute to a winch and let it unfurl. I got in a harness, attached myself to the bottom of the parachute, then they let the winch go. It felt like I was sitting on a swing, except for being 400 feet in the air. It was a great view, and I was disappointed when they finally winched me back in. After we finished, I laid out on Manly Beach until it got chilly. I took the ferry back, met up with Sharon, and stopped by Go, which had a vegetarian buffet. I had a Bondi Cola, which tasted like a diluted Pepsi. Very laid back way to spend a birthday.

[Originally published at GoHither.Net]

The sky was overcast, so we decided to head to Koala Park. It took about an hour and a half, but it was worth it. We saw wombats, wallabies, and peacocks, and got to pet dingoes, kangaroos, and koalas. The dingo was very similar to my favorite dog, the husky. We also got to see baby koalas. We headed back to the city, and the markets at the Rocks. I picked up a hat and a belt made of Barramundi fish. On the way back, we stopped at Philip’s Foote for dinner, where you choose your meat, then barbeque it. We returned to the room to do some laundry. We returned to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair to see of they’d set off fireworks again, but no luck. I did get some photos of the Opera House at night.

[Originally published at GoHither.Net]

A beautiful, cloudless day beckoned us to the beach. First, Sharon had met a girl who was performing at noon at Fox Studios, so we walked over there. The girl, Sandy Klose, was performing as part of the Pacific Circle Music Conference. They gave us visitor’s passes, then we grabbed a bite to eat. They were running late, so we watched a band called Saratoga first. They weren’t bad, but Sandy was really good. She sang and played a standup bass. I liked her songs, and the way she maintained her stage presence when the low frequencies of her bass caused a speaker to fall on a plant.

Next, we caught a bus to Coogee Beach. We bought some homemade ice cream, then started the walk to Bondi Beach. The view was great, but after two and a half hours, my feet hated me. We had tickets for the Symphony, and couldn’t stay to enjoy the beach. We returned to Potts Point, changed, and headed to the Opera House. The performance was great, particularly Bernard d’Ascoli the blind pianist. At intermission we enjoyed the fireworks exploding nearly above us. On the way home, we stopped at the Fountain Cafe to check email and get a bite to eat.

[Originally published at GoHither.Net]

I was scheduled to skydive this morning, but steady rain dashed that plan (the previous two days had been overcast). We decided to take the ferry to the aquarium. The aquarium was fun, but we were a little depressed to learn that reef sharks could be up to seven feet long, and some of the little ones are aggressive. When we exited, the sun was out, so I called the sky diving place and they said to come right out, so we’re on the train now. That was something.

Phil, who also turned out to be my tandem partner, picked us up from the Liverpool about 2. It took about half an hour to get to Picton, where the Sydney Skydivers Centre is located. I had to wait for one girl to jump before I could jump. It looked fun, but I was getting a little nervous. I put on a jump suit and harness, and got goggles to go over my glasses. Phil gave me instructions on how to do the tandem jump, then we got in the plane and took off. It was very crowded in the plane with me, him, the pilot, Natasha (another girl who was jumping), and her instructor. We had to climb to 10,000 feet to jump, and as we rose through the clouds and the air got colder, I got a little more nervous. Still, I was determined to go through with it, and said nothing as Phil strapped us together.

When we were at the right altitude, they opened the door and the other two jumped. We were on our knees, and shuffled to the door. Phil put a foot on the strut, then I did, and he launched us into space. I didn’t have time for fear, to feel the cold, or even to scream for the scant few seconds we were in freefall. I could barely feel him hitting me on the shoulder in the signal to spread my arms and legs. Suddenly we bounced, and I knew that he’d opened the parachute. I could see the landing zone south of us, and I just sat back and enjoyed the magnificent view. It turns out that the reason they turn in midair is to slow down so that the wind doesn’t carry them past the landing area. It left me mildly queasy, the only bad part. It only took a couple of minutes to get close, then I tucked my knees up and he landed first, then I set down so hard I jarred my ankles. It was amazing and I think roller coasters will pale in comparison for me now.

We went to the Opera House to see if they had any standing room only tickets for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, but they were sold out. We went shopping so I could get some nice pants in case we went the next day. After we got back to the apartment so I could get the second battery for my camera, we decided to visit the AMP Centerpoint Tower to see the view and eat. The view was great, but we were too late for the restaurant. After we took the associated Sky Tour (which was quite amusing), we tried to find a place to eat, but everything in the Central Business District was closed by 10. We returned to King’s Cross, where we ended up on a side street at a place called the Iguana Cafe, where I had grilled octopus and a daiquiri like drink called a Red Corvette.

[Originally published at GoHither.Net]

We bought travel passes at Central, then headed back to our room. We picked up breakfast items at a convenience store (we have a fridge in the room), then went back out for dinner. We decided on the Bourbon and Beefsteak Bar, and I had an “American steak sandwich”, which was a steak between two slices of bread. Sharon had sauteed prawns, we enjoyed it. After that, it was time for bed. A good 12 hours later, we were finally on Sydney’s schedule. Unfortunately, the sky was overcast and we cancelled our plans to go to Manly Beach in favor of the Blue Mountains (The guy at the front desk said Sydney weather was unpredictable, and the Blue Mountains more so, so we might as well go today as any other). I write this from the train there, which will leave in another twenty minutes.

Things I know now from the train trip: collision=smash, Target and K-mart are everywhere (along with McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Century 21), pharmacist=chemist.

Now we’re on our way back, after four hours of walking. We got off the train, had a bite to eat at the Poppyseeds Cafe, and commenced walking. We walked to Cliff Drive and took a path to the Scenic Skyway. We took the skyway, then took the railway (world’s steepest) down and walked to see Katoomba Falls from the bottom. We took the railway up, then took the trail to Echo Point. We looked at the Three Sisters, then walked back to town, and are now headed back to Sydney. We went to Arun Thai for dinner, right next to the hotel. I had Tom Yum Goong (prawn soup; I liked the fresh jalapenos) and Ped Ob Num Paung (roasted duck; very tasty).

[Originally published at GoHither.Net]

I’m writing this from the Botanical Gardens. Sharon and I took a taxi from the airport, the hotel let us check in at 8am, so we showered (thank God) and changed. We are eating in a cafe in the Gardens, having taken pictures of the flowers, birds, and the Opera House. I had “wedges” for lunch. Turns out it’s not a sandwich, like I thought, but fried potato slices (I should have known when the cashier asked me if I wanted tomato sauce and handed me ketchup when I assented).

Now in Hyde Park. Saw bats at the Gardens, the Opera House, and the Circular Quay. We cashed some traveler’s checks, I picked up some tickets, and now we’re letting the jet lag make us nap.

[Originally published at GoHither.Net]

The flight to LA is nice. I’ve never flown on a 777 before. I especially like the TV monitors in the back of the seats, and you can surf. LAX has funky columns outside that change color at night, and a restaurant that looks like a spider. The flight to Sydney is long. I haven’t been on a 747 either, but I don’t like it as much. It’s cramped, and I have a hard time sleeping. I watched Frequency (and For Love Of The Game to LA).

[Originally published at GoHither.Net]